The new Aronia cultivar is a product of a planned breeding program conducted by the inventor, Mark Henry Brand in Mansfield, Conn. The objective of the breeding program was to develop a prostrate ground cover form of Aronia melanocarpa less than 12″ tall with substantial bloom, shiny foliage, black fruit and colorful fall foliage. The cross resulting in this new variety was made during May of 2003. Date of first advertising was Jun. 26, 2018, in Grand Haven, Mich. This was made directly by the inventor or one who obtained information about the claimed invention directly or indirectly from the inventor. This sale and all public disclosures made before the filing of this application fall within the exception allowed under 102(b)(1).
The seed parent is the unpatented variety Aronia melanocarpa ‘BPMe’. The pollen parent is unknown. The new variety was discovered in May of 2006 by the inventor in a group of seedlings resulting from the 2003 crossing, in a research nursery in Mansfield, Conn.
Asexual reproduction of the new cultivar ‘UCONNAM012’ by softwood stem cuttings, was first performed during June of 2006, at a nursery in Mansfield, Conn. Subsequent propagation by softwood cuttings has shown that the unique features of this cultivar are stable and reproduced true to type in 4 successive generations.